Bold New Direction

After being rebuilt “from the studs,” the ladies locker room at Hyde Park G&CC is now in such high demand, there’s a waiting list for rentals.

In 2013, Hyde Park Golf & Country Club in Cincinnati, Ohio started the process of upgrading its entire property, rather than the smaller, piecemeal renovations it had been doing every few years. Staff worked to develop a long-range plan to improve a number of facilities and address a variety of concerns all at once.

The total renovation cost $7.4 million and touched on many areas of the club—from the men’s and family restrooms to adding a new pool with a patio and covered outdoor dining. But work on the ladies locker room, which hadn’t been updated in any significant way for 25 years, kicked off the effort.

“The ladies locker room was not pretty prior to the renovation,” says General Manager Eric O’Bryan. “It was just one large carpeted area with metal lockers and old fluorescent lighting.”

The entire space was “rebuilt from the studs,” O’Bryan says. The space is now divided into three areas, each with distinct looks: the locker area, a powder room, and a lounge space. Each area includes a similar color palette that is also used throughout the clubhouse—neutrals with pops of blue and bold patterns—as well as six-panel raised doors and granite countertops.

Overall, designers worked to ensure that natural light was allowed back into the space by keeping windows uncovered and installing recessed lighting, while keeping it soft with sconces. “It’s more of a warm, inviting space now,” O’Bryan says.

In the locker area, the lockers themselves are now wood and painted white, with a mix of full- and half-length sizes. The carpeting and walls are a neutral beige, contrasting with the bold light- and dark-blue-patterned curtains and soft padded seating in the room’s center.

Hyde Park Golf & Country Club, Cincinnati, Ohio

The powder room is often used as a space for members and guests to get ready before weddings and private functions. A blue repeating pattern is stamped onto off-white walls, porcelain planks line the floors, and plenty of gold-framed mirrors are installed throughout. Because space is a bit constrained near the shower area and powder room, pocket doors were also added, O’Bryan says.

A striking gold geometric pattern is featured on the walls of the lounge area, which is decorated with one set of neutral couches, two blue-and-white accent chairs, dark wood tables, and a nature painting with beige carpeting.

“The lounge area was one thing that we absolutely had to have,” O’Bryan says. “To make that space more functional and not just eye-pleasing, we brought in banquet tables to set up coffee for the 18- and nine-holers. We accomplished what we set out to do there—update the space and make it functional for everyone.

“Before the renovation, the lounge was just there and no one used it,” O’Bryan says. “Now people want to go in there and sit and have a glass of wine.”

Member response to the updated locker area has been universally positive—which, O’Bryan says, has led to a new challenge.

Hyde Park Golf & Country Club, Cincinnati, Ohio

“Before, we had 127 lockers and 90 of them were rented,” he says. “Now, we have 118 lockers with a waiting list—and some of our members are even sharing those lockers.

“We certainly didn’t used to be members’ first choice for showering and getting ready for dinner—but now, it’s a different story,” he adds.

In fact, member confidence in Hyde Park’s ability to pull off a successful, wide-ranging renovation has led to approval of another improvement project, set to begin in February 2018. Approved in mid-November, that project will entail moving and rebuilding six tennis courts, adding another to three existing paddle courts, building a new paddle and tennis building, and expanding the driving range with a golf learning center.